Just joined the "14th Century Mafia", apparently I'm quite sick...

[Sir James A]

The IceFalcon mail pliers arrived Friday, and they are fantastic! I got a bit more than one "length/wrap" row of the skirt done. The pliers are quite tough on the hands, though. I am going to get some rubber tool dip to see if that helps, it will help speed productivity for me - I was sore after a few hours and quit due to the cramping and stiffness.

This is taking MUCH longer than butted rings - I'm guessing I'll have 35-40 hours into this skirt by the time it's finished. After that, it'll be tailoring the voiders (I cheated and bought them pre-made ), and the kit will be much closer to completion. I'm greatly regretting having not paid that extra $100 to buy the skirt pre-made, but at least I'll have some satisfaction in knowing I made something.

[Sir Brian]

To steal a line from Sir Wolf...pictures or it didn't happen! 

[Sir Rodney]

I second Sir Brian's remark.  Did you purchase the riveted voiders from Icefalcon as well?  I'm really interested in seeing photographs of them.

[Sir William]

I live in Sterling and work in Charles Town WV. Sir James is the other way around, so we trade places during the day.

Ouch on both counts...although I'd imagine your commute probably goes more smoothly than does Sir James' - unless he's found another way besides the Beltway to get there in which case, that'd be all to the good.  I used to commute from Laurel, MD to Herndon, not far from where you live if I'm correct in my rudimentary knowledge of the area - but that was bear enough at 40 miles one way.  At peak times no less (I worked 9a-5p then)...so my shortest commute on record during said hours was 1 hour 40 minutes.  The longest, you ask?  4 hours, 27 minutes...there was a dusting of snow on the ground and traffic just stopped.  Literally.

By the by, Sir Brian.  LOL. 

[Sir James A]

Making the rivited mail skirt is taking much longer than I anticipated, in part due to my girly computer hands, and in part due to a number of mundane conflicts of time. I ordered a pre-assembled skirt from IceFalcon to match the voiders, and I'll use the rings I have to make a set of half-chausses (since I have cased greaves & plate sabatons), and to tailor the voiders and/or skirt if necessary.

At least I can (hopefully) get the skirt soon, and have the kit almost complete; mostly waiting on the backordered gauntlets (GDFB Churburgs), the breast/back and greaves from Allan at MercTailor, and to get some time for my wife to help me line up where I need to add points to the arming coat for the plate.

A few pics:

I used this to coat (4 times) the plier handles and add at least a little cushion to the grip. The first night I spent 30 minutes closing rings, I both got and opened (ugh) a blister from the rough metal.


The coated pliers:


All the cute little "fivelets"


Tiiiiiny rivits


Bag o rings


The first row for the skirt, and the beginning of the next (which I'll reuse as the beginning to the chausses)


The voiders, although they are folded in half. I will get pics of them unfolded and on the arming coat after they have been attached.

[Thorsteinn]

I figured that a hauberk with 50,000 rings would need something like 250,000-300,000 separate actions to make.

Remember, in period labor was cheap and materials were expensive, plus you didn't have just one guy making the shirt by hand.

Good on you for doing it though!

-Ivan
Who made his lamellar, 3 shields, and 3 layer gambeseon by hand.

[Sir Wolf]

wow aWESOME JOB. now dont forget about the expanding rows to allow the skirt to flow outward heehe

[Sir William]

Plasti-Dip...I know guys who are using it on cars- I've seen sets of rims that're coated in PD and they look pretty good- at least in pictures.  These guys swear it looks good up close too.  Been thinking of blacking out some pieces on my car.

[Sir Rodney]

I just picked up a can of plasti-dip last week.  It's a growing fashion in the SCA to coat our non-historical axe/polearm heads in the stuff for a better look.  Two or three thinned coats of the black finished off with a coat mixed w/ silver paint does the trick.

[Sir William]

That's stuff is extremely useful isn't it?  Gonna keep that in mind too...maybe I'll do a helm or two, eh?

It comes right off if you pick at it long enough, or so I'm told.

[Sir James A]

The GDFB gauntlets arrived today, even though they were back ordered til June. I love when a time vortex works in my favor!

The quality is actually very good for only being $104 shipped. And they fit my hands fairly well. Much, much better than those churburg sabatons. I think all those will be good for is as a pattern example. If they had a better rear plate, they would actually be decent, but that wild flare makes them look completely off.

The articulation of the gauntlets isn't terrible, but the leather strapping is odd; I'll post pics later if I get a chance, but the strap hangs over each finger both on the sides and the tips, and is just "long" on all sides. Maybe we're supposed to trim them; I know I am going to.

Again, as simply dress/show gauntlets, and not WMA competition gauntlets, they're quite acceptable for the price.

The mail skirt is backordered until June/July, and I still haven't chosen a helmet, but this kit is getting close to complete.

[Sir William]

Sir James, sounds like you're coming right along...post some pics!